SLOVENIAN SYMBOLS

SONGS OF FREEDOM

:: NATIONAL SYMBOLS THROUGH TIME :: :: BACK TO THE FUTURE

02/03
HAVE YOU HEARD?

The basis for the coat of arms of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia was the Slovenian Liberation Front emblem, designed during the Second World War by the architect Edvard Ravnikar.

As a country in the heart of the old continent, Slovenia has a rich story to tell and great symbols attached to its chest. It has been a proud part of several multinational empires, kingdoms, and countries that all influenced the national insignia of todays Republic of Slovenia.
CARANTANIA COAT OF ARMS THE PRINCES STONE COAT OF ARMS OF THE COUNTS OF CELJE COAT OF ARMS OF CARNIOLA ROYAL COAT OF ARMS OF THE KINGDOM OF YUGOSLAVIA COAT OF ARMS OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA

Carantania, one of the first Slavic states, covered the territories of present-day Slovenia and Austria in the second half of the seventh century. Although the black panther has great charisma, its features nevertheless did not influence contemporary Slovenias national symbols.

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This ancient symbol of Slovenian identity can also be found on the two-cent euro coin. The Princes Stone was used as a ceremonial throne when authority was given to the newly elected duke and it is a visual remainder of one of earliest known democratic practices held in Slovenian.

The medieval aristocratic family of the Counts of Celje was the last native noble house to rule the Slovenian lands. The three golden six-pointed stars have a special place in the todays coat of arms of Slovenia.

Under the Habsburg monarchy, the Duchy of Carniola was the main Slovenian-populated crown land, with its capital in Ljubljana. The white, blue, and red in its coat of arms and flag had a major influence on Slovenias future symbols.

Initially known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia extended from the western Balkans to Central Europe from 1918 until 1941. Slovenia merely had the status of an administrative unit in the kingdom and therefore did not have official symbols of its own.

Slovenia was one of six republics within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for much of the twentieth century, from 1943 until independence in 1991. Even then its coat of arms incorporated Mount Triglav and the Adriatic Sea, as well as the linden leaves that have been a symbol of Slovenia since the nineteenth century.

THE ONE

The year that white, blue, and red were adopted as the national colors of Slovenia.

The image of Mount Triglav with its three peaks is the most persistent symbol in Slovenian heritage.

:: LANGUAGE :: :: THE SOUND OF PEOPLE

04/05
HAVE YOU HEARD?

What makes Slovenian rare and beautiful but a bit harder to learn is the use of the dual in addition to singular and plural.

Slovenian is an Indo-European language and belongs to the Slavic language family. This means that its roots reach back to the first ever Slavic language the so called Old Church Slavonic, from the ninth century. The first book, first grammar, and first translation of the Bible into Slovenian all happened in the second half of the sixteenth century during the Protestant Reformation by Primo Trubar, Adam Bohori, and Jurij Dalmatin. Slovenians may not be known for being as chatty as their Italian neighbors, but they do love their native language and have been very diligent in translating world literature and keeping it safe from the influences of foreign languages. Although Slovenia has always been surrounded and sometimes even invaded by large, loud

languages, its people have always found a way to communicate in their own language: Slovenian. Today about 2.5 million people speak, write, and understand Slovenian. It can also be often heard in Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Argentina, Australia, Canada, and the United States. It is one of the twenty-three official and working languages of the European Union. Slovenian uses the Latin alphabet, consisting of 25 letters with a few nice touches such as the letters , , and . There are 5 vowels and 20 consonants. Nouns, adjectives, and pronouns in Slovenian have 3 numbers, 3 genders, and 6 cases. Verbs are conjugated for 3 persons and 3 numbers. Verbs can express 4 times, 3 moods, and 2 voices.

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The number of Slovenian dialects spoken in Slovenia.

THE PIECE OF PAPER THAT STARTED IT ALL

The Freising Manuscripts are the earliest examples of text written in Slovenian, dating back to AD 972.

:: FLAG :: :: COLORS IN MOTION

06/07
HAVE YOU HEARD?

The three equal horizontal bands of white, blue, and red are the same as on the Russian and Slovak flags.

You have probably noticed it blowing in the wind at many world cup skiing events or even the Olympics and youll definitely see it all over the souvenir shops. But just in case, here are some tips on how to spot it. Slovenias national flag has three horizontal bands of equal size and different colors: white on top, blue in the middle, and red on the bottom. Towards the upper left corner of the flag is the Slovenian coat of arms, centered between the white and blue bands. White, blue and red are based on the coat of arms of the historical region of Carniola. During the European revolutions (the Spring of Nations), the Slovenians chose their colors and presented them to the administration of the

Austrian Empire, of which Slovenia was a part. On 23 September 1848 the white, blue, and red officially became the Slovenian national flag. A few months later the new flag cheered the people in Ljubljana for the first time, hanging proudly on Wolfova Street. After the Second World War, the tricolor flag was the basis for the one that would represent the new Socialist Republic of Slovenia. As part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the flag bore a large red star. Following Slovenias independence on 25 June 1991 the newly designed coat of arms took the place of the star.

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The number of national holidays that require flying the national flag.

WINDS OF CHANGE

One of the most memorable moments in contemporary Slovenian history was the sight of the huge Slovenian flag blowing in the wind on the square in front of the Parliament after Slovenias independence was announced.

:: COAT OF ARMS :: :: SYMBOL WITHIN A SYMBOL

08/09
HAVE YOU HEARD?

The coat of arms also served as the basis for the new public administration visual identity system introduced in 2010. A new font called Republika was specially designed as well.

The first thing that will catch your eye on this blue shield with red borders is the image of three white peaks. They stand tall and proud for the highest mountain in Slovenia, Mount Triglav, whose name means three heads. Below the mountain, two wavy blue lines represent the many rivers in the region and the Adriatic Sea. The three six-pointed golden stars that shine above Mount Triglav were placed there as an homage to the great medieval aristocrats, the Counts of Celje. This coat of arms started to represent Slovenia in 1991, so it is a relative newcomer in Slovenian life and heritage. Marko Poganik, a sculptor, was chosen to carry out the assignment of designing it. His idea was not based solely on history but also took into account a holistic approach to the territory and energy of Slovenian identity.

Two prominent Slovenians, the poet France Preeren and architect Joe Plenik, also had significant influence on the sculptor. Preerens epic poem Krst pri Savici (Baptism at the Savica) inspired the use of the scenery of Mount Triglav, its golden hue, and Lake Bohinj. A pilaster in front of the parish church in Bled that was designed by Plenik provided inspiration with its image of Mount Triglav and a six-sided star on the Virgin Marys coat. Combining the elements of air, fire, water, and earth, the coat of arms is meant to connect the country with the cosmos around it. However great the descriptions and stories are, in the beginning not everyone agreed that the coat of arms gave this new country of mountains, sea, and fresh air all the confidence it deserved, but now everyone feels a connection to it.

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The coat of armsmagic number with three stars, three colors and three peaks of Mount Triglav.

PLAY OF TRIANGLES

Geometrically speaking, the Slovenian shield is composed around two triangles: the celestial and the terrestrial triangles. Their tips meet at the lowest of the three stars. Mount Triglav is also made up of three triangles.

:: NATIONAL ANTHEM :: :: VISION OF UNIVERSAL PEACE

10/11
HAVE YOU HEARD?

Each stanza of Zdravljica is a carmen figuratum, shaped like a wine glass.

Slovenias national anthem uses part of the poem called Zdravljica, which can be translated as a toast. It was originally a drinking song with a strong political undertone of Slovenias unity. Although some people believe the national anthem uses the entire poem, officially it is just the seventh stanza, the only one everyone knows by heart and sings when the occasion arises. Zdravljica was written by Slovenias greatest poet, France Preeren, in the troubled times of 1844, a few years before the outbreak of the March Revolution. His vision was not very well accepted and was subjected to censorship. The poet did not want to publish the edited version of the poem in his upcoming volume of collected poems titled Poezije (Poetry). So the first time Zdravljica saw the light of day was on 26 April 1848 in the newspaper Kmetijske in rokodelske novice (Farm and Trade News).

The poem was proclaimed the anthem of Slovenia in 1989, when Slovenia was still part of Yugoslavia. That same year it was also proclaimed that the official tune of the anthem would be the choral composition by Stanko Premrl, who set Zdravljica to music for the first time in 1905. When Slovenia became independent, it kept both the words and melody of the seventh stanza as its anthem.

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The year that the well-known rock band Lani Franz recorded its own version of Zdravljica, creating quite a stir, launching a debate on whether the national anthem could also be a rock song.

Gods blessing on all nations, Who long and work for that bright day, When oer earths habitations No war, no strife shall hold its sway; Who long to see That all men free, No more shall foes, but neighbors be.
Translation by Janko Lavrin

SEARCH FOR PERFECTION

The poet France Preeren wrote seven versions of the poem that is today known as the Slovenian national anthem, even crossing out one stanza himself.

:: OFFICIAL TRADEMARK :: :: HIGH ON EMOTION

12/13
HAVE YOU HEARD?

The best-known slogan for the land on the sunny side of the Alps was Slovenija, moja deela (Slovenia, my country). It came out in the early 1980s and quickly conquered everyones hearts far beyond the purely tourism purposes for which it was created.

The secret of the beauty and pureness of the green country at the heart of Europe is out. More and more people now know where Slovenia is, what the national pastry potica tastes like, and that you just have to see Bled if youve made it this far. Much of the thanks that it is recognized by the touristic market and loved by the visitors goes to the strategic placement of the brand I Feel Slovenia, your guarantee for an authentic Slovenian experience. I Feel Slovenia is the first overall brand and it gets straight to the point. It is not enough to just see a breathtaking photo of Slovenia you have to feel it, breathe it, and love it to understand its appeal, and to know how much more

it has to offer. It is an emotional statement because it seeks to have an intense connection with people, share its good vibes with cultural, sports, or business partnerships, and strengthen relations with other countries. It wants to make friends because it feels right, not because it is convenient. Here the vision of Slovenia as a young, modern country is also connected with the spirit of its people, who feel a strong connection to it. Slovenians appreciate their local goods, diversity, natural wealth, products made in Slovenia, and the successful people that were born and raised right down the street. They are the ones that feel Slovenia the most.

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The number of tourists that chose Slovenia as their vacation destination in 2009.

AMBASSADORS OF THE SPIRIT OF VICTORY

The most successful promoters of the country and also the brand I Feel Slovenia are its many athletes, skiers, and swimmers, who keep it in the spotlight with their courage, victories, and sense of fair play.

:: ICONS :: :: SUPERHEROES
MARTIN KRPAN A man of extraordinary strength, famous for carrying his own horse. KRALJ MATJA The good king is asleep in the mountain and when his beard grows nine times around the stone table he shall awake. PETER KLEPEC This weak-turned-powerful boy chased the invading Turkish army back to Istanbul. ZLATOROG His golden horns were once the key to a treasure hidden in the mountains. TRIGLAV At 2,864 meters, Mount Triglav is the highest mountain in Slovenia. BLED Probably the destination tourists love the most. PLANICA The ski-jump capital of the world. POSTOJNA CAVE This 20,570 m karst cave is the longest cave system in the country. LINDEN TREE A linden leaf is as Slovenian as it gets. All sorts of gatherings were traditionally held around circular tables beneath a linden tree.
BLED KRALJ MATJA LINDEN TREE

POSTOJNA CAVE

PETER KLEPEC

:: CITIES AND SYMBOLS :: :: VISUALIZING HISTORY

CELJE | 48,991 | 1451 KOPER | 51,354 | 1186 KRANJ | 54,188 | 1256 LJUBLJANA | 276,091 | 1220 MARIBOR | 113,113 | 1254 MURSKA SOBOTA | 19,433 | 1366 NOVA GORICA | 31,911 | 1947 NOVO MESTO | 35,570 | 1365 PTUJ | 23,699 | 1250 SLOVENJ GRADEC | 16,662 | 1267 VELENJE | 33,226 | 1959
The numbers beside the coats of arms indicate the number of inhabitants in the city (as of 31 December 2008) and the year that the towns officially became cities.

:: :: www.slovenia.si :: :: www.slovenia.info :: ::
Publisher: Government Communication Office | Text by: RDEI OBLAK | Photos: Government Communication Office, Slovenian Tourist Board, Cover photo: Borut Peterlin | Design: Bons d.o.o. | Print: Collegium Graphicum | Number of copies: 5,000 | June, 2011 |